Pregnant women who are lesbians want to be treated like any other expectant mother

Midwives often struggle to meet the needs of pregnant women who are lesbians, with patients reporting that the focus is often on their sexuality rather than the fact that they are expecting a baby, according to research in the November issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

The findings have led Swedish researchers from Linkopings University and Uppsala University Hospital to call for special training for midwives, more neutral healthcare routines and forms and special education groups for pregnant women who are lesbians and their partners.

"Ten lesbian women aged from 30 to 46 were interviewed" says lead author Dr Gerd Rondahl, a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University. "All were open about their sexuality with healthcare staff, all had experience of antenatal care, childbirth or postnatal care in Sweden and eight of them were in a relationship with another woman at the time of the study.

"Our study showed that none of the women were offered any childbirth and parenting education and some assumed that this was because the midwife did not know how to handle two mothers rather than the mother and father unit normally seen in traditional parenting groups.

"Some reported positive experiences but others felt vulnerable and defenceless because of the way that healthcare staff reacted to them. However, the majority felt that healthcare staff focused more on their sexuality than their needs as pregnant women and prospective parents."

Other key findings from the study included:

* Some women chose clinics that they knew were experienced in dealing with pregnant women who are lesbians. As one mother-to-be stated: "I'm just the same as any other pregnant woman… we don't want to be different."

* Most of the women reported that their first meeting with their midwife was positive. Even if midwives were surprised, they were kind and friendly towards the prospective parents.

* Those who had a negative experience felt it was down to personality not sexuality. However, one mother was so upset at the initial reaction she received – perceived as disbelief and disgust – that she moved to another clinic.

* Interviewees stressed the importance of including the 'second mother' and any other children in a conscious and natural way, as this conveyed an acceptance and tolerance of same-sex parents. One woman who gave birth was touched by the fact that staff "put up a little sign and just wrote mother X and mother Y".

* Some staff failed to modify their comments when dealing with same-sex couples. One woman found a delivery ward visit upsetting as the midwife "emphasised the whole time 'here is where the father can go and get coffee' and 'the father can sit here' even though we were two woman couples and two woman-man couples." It made her wonder, "would we be respected when we got there?".